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Ilia Malinin (USA) secured his third Skate America title by finishing second in Free Skating Sunday at Skate America © ISU

Reigning ISU World Champion Ilia Malinin (USA) won his third consecutive ISU Grand Prix Skate America title in what was a nail-biter of a final at the Credit Union of Texas Event Center in Allen, TX (USA) on Sunday.

Malinin (USA) takes home third Skate America gold 

'Quad God' Ilia Malinin (USA) took home his third Skate America gold medal, but he had to fight for it, as Kevin Aymoz (FRA) rose to the occasion and won the Free Skating segment to earn the silver medal. Kao Miura of Japan claimed bronze in the high-level competition.

Skating last, Malinin knew he had to deliver. Performing to “I’m Not a Vampire”, Malinin started off with a perfect quad flip, triple Axel and quad Lutz. Then he doubled the planned quad loop and stumbled on a triple Lutz. The U.S. Champion fought back, reeling off a quad toe-triple toe and throwing in a quad Salchow- (slightly under-rotated) triple Axel before going all out in his footwork and choreo sequence. With a score of 190.43, Malinin was edged by Aymoz in the Free Skating, but won the overall title at 290.12 points.

“Just preparing for the competition, watching all the skaters compete, I was really motivated by Kevin's skate,” Malinin said. “It really excited me and I was so happy for him. It pushed me to really just get going to try to skate that program, and of course it wasn't what I wanted today. So after the few mistakes, I just tried to regroup and to make a strategy of what I have to do. I decided to go for that quad Sal (Salchow) and I went for it."

Aymoz was brilliant in his program to “Van Gogh”, “Hold On Tight” and “Destiny”. He landed two quad toes, two triple Axels, four more triples and showed exciting footwork to set a new personal best of 190.84 points.

  Kevin Aymoz (FRA) reacts to his winning Free Skating performance Sunday at Skate America in Allen, TX © ISU

With a total score of 282.88 points, the Frenchman jumped to second from fourth place. It was quite a comeback for Aymoz, who struggled with confidence last season and ended his campaign after the ISU European Championships.

“My only goal was to come back from the last performance I did internationally,” Aymoz said. “It was the European Championship (2024) and I finished (31st), popping doubles, falling on singles. That was for me, just to come back, and today I was super proud because I did work these last six months.”

Miura delivered a strong performance as well, to “The Umbrellas of Cherbourg”, highlighted by a quad Salchow, quad toe-triple toe and a triple Axel-Euler-triple Salchow. The 2023 ISU Four Continents Champion achieved a sesaon's best with 179.13 points and slipped to third overall from second at 278.67 points.

Kao Miura (JPN) placed third in Free Skating and third overall at Skate America in Allen, TX on Sunday © ISU

“Today my skate was really all about staying strong in my head, and I think that I was skating with very little room to fail,” Miura said. “Next time, I would really like to be able to skate with a little bit more room to breathe and have a clean skate. That will be my motto. I still think that the Grand Prix Final is a possibility, but coming third today it's really sort of like the borderline of what I can allow myself.”

Nika Egadze (GEO) dropped to fourth from third at 261.71 points despite a solid performance. Deniss Vasiljevs (LAT) was fifth with his balletic program to "La Bayadere" (251.47 points), while Koshiro Shimada (JPN) finished sixth (219.68 points).

Malinin pocketed 15 points for the ISU Grand Prix standings and will compete again next week at Skate Canada International to secure his spot in the ISU Grand Prix Final. Aymoz (13 points) is headed to the Finlandia Trophy in Helsinki (FIN) next, while Miura (11 points) will take the ice again at his home event NHK Trophy in Tokyo.

For full entries, schedules & results, see the ISU Grand Prix Event Page & ISU GP Skate America Event Page & Official Skate America Website.

Check out the ISU Grand Prix Standings to find out who is on their way to qualify for the Final (data will be available after the conclusion of the first event):

Men      Women            Pair Skating      Ice Dance

What & When

The schedule of Skate America is as follows:

Friday, Oct 18: Pairs & Women’s Short Programs

Saturday, Oct 19: Rhythm Dance, Pairs Free Skating, Men’s Short Program & Women’s Free Skating

Sunday, Oct 20: Men’s Free Skating & Free Dance, Exhibition Gala  

Follow the ISU Grand Prix Series

The schedules of each ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating event are available below:

• 18 - 20 Oct 2024 Skate America in Allen, TX (USA)
• 25 - 27 Oct 2024  Skate Canada International in Halifax (CAN)
• 01 - 03 Nov 2024 Grand Prix de France in Angers (FRA)
• 08 - 10 Nov 2024  NHK Trophy in Tokyo (JPN)
• 15- 17 Nov 2024 Finlandia Trophy in Helsinki (FIN)
• 22 - 24 Nov 2024 Cup of China in Chongqing (CHN)

The ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final: 

• 05 - 08 Dec 2024 Grenoble/FRA

About ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating

The ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series started in 1995 (previously known a s the ISU Champions Series) and consists of six invitational international senior events and the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final. The top six of the past World Championships are seeded. Competitors collect points in their events towards the qualification for the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final. Only the top six Skaters / Couples in each discipline can qualify for the Final.